Abstract: In exemplary embodiments, methods and systems are provided that include one or more underbody cameras and a processor for a vehicle. The underbody cameras are configured to obtain camera images under the vehicle. The processor is coupled to the one or more underbody cameras, and is configured to at least facilitate: performing image processing for the camera images; and determining a ride height, a measure of weight on the vehicle, or both, based on the camera images from the one or more underbody cameras and the processing thereof via the processor.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for printing sections of a part with integral locating and joining features. A system for joining part sections of a part having at least two separate sections includes a locating feature and a joining feature. The locating feature includes structures integrally formed with the sections to locate them relative to one another. The joining feature includes structures integrally formed with the sections to lock the sections together.

Abstract: A system of managing communications in a vehicle includes a telematics unit connected to the vehicle. The telematics unit is configured to execute a retransmission request protocol upon receipt of erroneous data. A command unit in communication with the telematics unit, the command unit having a processor and tangible, non-transitory memory on which instructions are recorded. The command unit is adapted to determine vehicle situational parameters at a beginning of a data communication cycle. The vehicle situational parameters including current location and navigation status of the vehicle. When a first retransmission according to the retransmission request protocol is detected, the vehicle situational parameters are updated. The command unit is adapted to determine a desirable value of a retransmission frequency for the retransmission request protocol based in part on the updated vehicle situational parameters. In one embodiment, the retransmission request protocol is Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ).

Abstract: A system for a fuel-cell subgasket active area edge with through-plane proton conduction is provided. The system includes a fuel-cell membrane-subgasket assembly. The assembly includes an active area including a proton exchange membrane and a first portion of a transitional proton-conductive material attached to the proton exchange membrane. The assembly further includes a non-active subgasket boundary surrounding the active area, configured for preventing a flow of gaseous material and liquid material therethrough. The non-active subgasket boundary includes a non-conductive subgasket and a second portion of the transitional proton-conductive material attached to the subgasket.

Abstract: Vehicles and related systems and methods are provided for controlling a vehicle in an autonomous operating mode. One method involves obtaining navigation information for a route for the vehicle from a navigation system, transforming the navigation information into data points defining an upcoming trajectory of the route, mapping the data points to a corresponding mapped set of lane segments encompassing one or more of the data points, assigning lane preference indicia to the mapped set of lane segments, and autonomously operating one or more actuators onboard the vehicle to laterally maneuver the vehicle into one or more lanes at respective longitudinal positions along the route corresponding to one or more lane segments of the mapped set of lane segments in a manner that is influenced by the lane preference indicia assigned to the lane segments.

Abstract: A method for determining a two wire open fault on a two wire communications bus including determining a threshold in response to a first data from a first electronic control unit and a second data received from a second electronic control unit via the two wire communications bus, wherein the first data includes a first plurality of dominant bits and a first plurality of recessive bits and the second data includes a second plurality of dominant bits and a second plurality of recessive bits, determining a current network health indicator in response to a third data from the first electronic control unit having a third plurality of dominant bits and a third plurality of recessive bits, and generating a double wire open fault error report in response to the current network health indicator exceeding the threshold.

Abstract: A battery maintenance system includes an enclosure including a plurality of walls. A plurality of battery cells are located in the enclosure and surrounded by electrolyte. An electrolyte agitator such as a piezoelectric device is attached to at least one of the walls of the enclosure and is configured to selectively agitate the electrolyte.

Abstract: A method includes: selectively actuating switches of an inverter module and first, second, third, and fourth switches of a motor; and charging a battery with power from a charger using at least one of first, second, and third stator windings of the motor, the battery having a first voltage and being electrically connected in parallel with the inverter module, and the charger having a second voltage that is less than the first voltage.

Abstract: A multimedia system is provided for a scalable infotainment system of a motor vehicle. The scalable infotainment system includes a camera, which is releasably attached to the motor vehicle and supports camera software components for generating a media signal. The multimedia system includes a media player and a computer attached to the motor vehicle. The computer has a processor and a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, which stores player software components including multiple streaming protocols used by the media player to play a media stream. The processor is programmed to transmit to the camera a player setup signal including data associated with the player software components. The processor is further programmed to receive from the camera a media signal associated with a media stream generated by the camera by using a common one of the streaming protocols supported by the camera and the media player.

Abstract: Methods and system for training a neural network for depth estimation in a vehicle. The methods and systems receive respective training image data from at least two cameras. Fields of view of adjacent cameras of the at least two cameras partially overlap. The respective training image data is processed through a neural network providing depth data and semantic segmentation data as outputs. The neural network is trained based on a loss function. The loss function combines a plurality of loss terms including at least a semantic segmentation loss term and a panoramic loss term. The panoramic loss term includes a similarity measure regarding overlapping image patches of the respective image data that each correspond to a region of overlapping fields of view of the adjacent cameras. The semantic segmentation loss term quantifies a difference between ground truth semantic segmentation data and the semantic segmentation data output from the neural network.

Abstract: A method for aerial-based event notification includes detecting a trigger event with one or more electronic units of a system. The system includes a telematics unit, a drone having one or more notification actuators, and a tether that connects the drone to the system. The method further includes launching the drone with the telematics unit in response to the trigger event, waiting a predetermined time after the trigger event, retracting the drone in response to a subsequent event being undetected within the predetermined time after the trigger event, detecting the subsequent event with the one or more electronic units, placing the drone in an alert configuration in response to detecting the subsequent event within the predetermined time after the trigger event, and generating one or more alert notifications from the one or more notification actuators while the drone is in the alert configuration.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a negative electrode material and methods of preparation and use relating thereto. The electrode material comprises a plurality of electroactive material particles, where each electroactive material particle includes an electroactive material core and an electronically conductive coating. The method includes contacting an electroactive material precursor including a plurality of electroactive material particles with a solution so as to form an electronically conductive coating on each of the electroactive material particles. The solution includes a solvent and one or more of copper fluoride (CuF2), titanium tetrafluoride (TiF3 or TiF4), iron fluoride (FeF3), nickel fluoride (NiF2), manganese fluoride (MnF2, MnF3, or MnF4), and vanadium fluoride (VF3, VF4, VF5). The electronically conductive coating includes a plurality of first regions and a plurality of second regions. The plurality of first regions include lithium fluoride.

Abstract: A robotic system for use with a payload includes a robot, a passive compliance mechanism, position sensors, and an electronic control unit (ECU). Actuated joints of the robot provide the robotic system with actuated degrees of freedom (DOF). The compliance mechanism is connected to the robot and payload, and has unactuated joints providing the robotic system with unactuated DOF. The sensors measure joint positions of the joints. The ECU has a trajectory generator block which generates a payload trajectory signal in response to dynamic control inputs, and an impedance control unit (ICU) applying damping and stiffness parameters to the payload trajectory signal to generate an initial velocity command. A stiction compensation block allows the robotic system to generate a velocity offset, and applies the velocity offset to the initial velocity command to produce a final velocity command for the robot.

Abstract: In an exemplary embodiment, a vehicle system is provided that includes a sensor array and a processor. The sensor array is configured to generate vehicle sensor data pertaining to a target vehicle in proximity to the vehicle. The processor is coupled to the sensor array, and is configured to at least facilitate: beginning an overtake maneuver for the vehicle, via instructions provided to the drive system, when conditions for an overtake of the target vehicle by the vehicle are initially determined by the processor to be valid; subsequent to the beginning of the overtake maneuver, determining via the processor whether the conditions for the overtake of the target vehicle are still valid, based on updated sensor data reflecting variant traffic conditions; and further controlling the overtake maneuver based on the determining as to whether the conditions for the overtake of the target vehicle are still valid.

Abstract: A vehicle system includes: at least one of (a) an advanced driving system configured to aid a driver of a vehicle in performance of at least one driving maneuver based on input from at least one of a sensor and a camera and (b) an advanced driving feature; and a usage module configured to: when the at least one of (a) the advanced driving system and (b) the advanced driving feature is off, determine whether the at least one of (a) the advanced driving system and (b) the advanced driving feature could be on and used based on at least one of: at least one present vehicle operating parameter; at least one present road parameter; at least one present traffic parameter; and at least one present environmental parameter.